UAE Anti-tobacco Law in effect from January 21

The much anticipated Anti-tobacco Federal Law has come into place on January 21. A number of rules must be taken into consideration, as violators may be met with hefty fines.

On July 21, 2013 the Ministry of Health announced the executive regulations of the Anti-tobacco Federal Law, which was approved by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in the Cabinet's Resolution No 24.

During the course of the next 6 months, the public was able to take the required measures to comply with the new law. As shopkeepers, distributers and the hospitality sector have geared up for the day of implementation, the individual smoker too should be well aware of the new rules from today onward in order to avoid being fined.A couple of rules have been implemented to protect the younger generation from the harm that can be caused through smoking and passive smoking. By far the most-talked about rule is the restriction of smoking in the car in the presence of a child below 12 years.

The violator will be fined with a Dh500 penalty, and Dubai Police is tasked with the enforcement of this rule. So, from today, good behaviour on the road goes beyond being a good driver.

Further, the young generation will not be able to purchase any tobacco products, as the sale of these products to any person under the age of 18 is a violation. Similarly, shisha products may not be provided to persons under the age of 18. Those flouting these rules may be fined with penalties between Dh500-10,000.

Shopkeepers and café owners will have to abide by an additional set of rules. Shisha shops and shops selling tobacco products may no longer be available near schools and mosques. A minimum distance of 15 metres should be maintained from kindergartens, schools, universities and colleges, a minimum of 100 metres from places of worship. A minimum of 150 metres from residential areas is the rule for shisha cafes.

Further, tobacco products cannot be displayed near items marketed for children, or sportswear, health, food and electronic products.

Advertising of tobacco products is no longer permitted.  The law bans any content that advertises tobacco products, such as newspaper advertisements, TV commercials and animations.

It also bans importing tobacco products that are not line with technical standards set by the UAE, and any violations regarding such imports can lead to a one year prison sentence and a fine ranging from Dh100,000 to Dh1 million, in addition to the confiscation of products.

The law also provides specifications on the packaging of tobacco products. All products must now display a large warning label on the front to raise awareness on the dangers of tobacco, and not to mislead them. Violators will be fined Dh100,000 to Dh1 million, and the fines can be doubled if the offence is repeated.

Shisha cafes are subjected to specific rules when it comes to their opening hours. The regulations specify that these cafes must comply to working hours from 10am to midnight. Shishas may not be served to customers younger than 18 years, and the cafes will be forbidden from delivering shishas to apartments.

Finally, growing or producing tobacco for commercial purposes will also be forbidden, and current manufacturing plants have been given a grace period of 10 years to sort out their situation, while tobacco farms have been given a two-year grace period.

Expatriates to clear all fines before visa cancellation in UAE

Image Credit: Gulf News

Expatriates will not be allowed to leave the UAE unless they have paid all their fines in line with new Interior Ministry measures.

“Expatriates must not have any unpaid fines or any police cases against them in order to be able to cancel their visa to leave the country or to get a new visa here,” Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director-General of Dubai Residency and Foreigners Affairs Department in Dubai (GDRFA) .He said this applied all over the country.
According to new rules implemented by the Ministry of Interior late last year the rules will be expanded to cover all financial commitments by expatriates.
“We have linked procedures to cancel visas for expatriates with the payment of all their road fines.”
The computer systems of the traffic police and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) have already been linked to all Residency and Foreigners Affairs Departments in the UAE.
This step is to ensure that expatriates pay all their financial dues.
An American resident in Sharjah, who had his visa issued by Sharjah Free Zone and who wanted to have his visa cancelled to change jobs, said he was shocked to discover he owed Dh10,000 in Salik fines.
William M. said he was new to the country and did not know about Salik.
“When I bought and registered my car no one told me that I needed a Salik tag,” he said.
He said he was asked by the residency department in Sharjah to pay his RTA fines in Dubai before getting his visa cancelled by the Sharjah Free Zone.

“I had to pay Dh10,000 in traffic fines.”

He said newcomers to the country should be educated about the rules here to avoid breaking the law.

UAE to launch mobile phone services for visit visas, domestic help cards and passport renewal

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Interior will soon offer services via smart phones to renew passports, 30-day and 90-day visit visas, as well as domestic workers card and entry permits among other services, a senior official said Monday.
Major General Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al Raisi, Director General of Central Operations at Abu Dhabi Police, said the Ministry of Interior launched 169 electronic services through its website, and 30 smart services via mobile phones.
“The services offered in the first phase include vehicle registration renewal, payment of fines through mobile phones and the Ministry of Interior’s website without having to visit the relevant service centre,” Al Raisi said.
He added work was under way to add the passport renewal service for mobile phones in the coming days, in addition to the 30-day (short term visits) and 90-day visit visas (long term visits) service, the domestic workers card and entry permit and other security services.
The Ministry of Interior will be achieving full automation of the 339 services it offers through smart phones or through its website by the end of the year, in addition to the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Interactive Messaging Services,” Al Raisi said.

Salary proof must to rent an apartment in Dubai

Tenents will have to provide a statement of income from their employer to landlords before leasing a property in Dubai.
Dubai Land Department (DLD) has now included an income statement in the list of documents that a tenant requires for renting an apartment in the emirate.
The other documents required are:
•A copy of your passport
•A copy of your residency UAE visa
•A signed application for tenancy with all information provided
•A security deposit (usually around equivalent of 4 weeks rent) this is refundable when you exit the property providing it is returned to the owner in the same condition when you entered the property.
•The rent sometimes is negotiable but usually four cheques – the first being three months rent cheque, which is dated now, and the following postdated for 3 monthly intervals. The rent is paid in advance in Dubai.
The DLD advises tenants to use only a registered broker/agent, adding newcomers should study the location area maps, have a good look at the differing prices, factor traffic and commuting to work, consider the surrounding amenities, and take a drive around the areas before contacting an agent.

Agents are required to have an agreement with their client (tenant) as the latter pays five per cent fee to the former. The fee is paid at the time of signing a lease contract.
The department also makes it very clear that tenants have no right to alter, damage, change the interior or exterior of the property without express written permission form the owner.
“The days are gone when an irresponsible tenant leaves a property dirty, with their rubbish and unfit for occupation,” it states.
Maintain the property
The property will need to be left in the same condition, as is handed over to the tenant with the tenant and landlord signing an “Entry Condition Report.” This ensures protection to the tenant against the claim of a landlord for damage or condition of a property, which was present before the tenant’s occupation.
Upon leaving the property, an “Exit Condition Report” is completed by the tenant and landlord (or landlord’s agent) and the both reports must match.
“It is a good idea to take some photographs of any damage which your concerned about to ensure you are not blamed for damage, have the landlord or landlord’s agent sign these immediately to protect yourself,” the department counsels.
The DLD website further states a new standard form for rentals and property management will be issued in coming months and shall be available only for registered brokers.

‘Rental Increase Calculator’ on the Dubai Land Department-operated portal to help Tenants

Dubai: Tenants in Dubai can have an instant update on where they stand vis-à-vis the new rental decree by inputting their lease details into the ‘Rental Increase Calculator’ on the Dubai Land Department-operated portal. Doing so will let you know immediately whether you are liable to pay a higher rental during the lease renewal and how much landlords are eligible to demand as per the strict range set by the decree.

The average rentals for all the key residential neighbourhoods are provided, which will be updated to ensure they are in sync with the prevailing asking rates. It will also tell you that the landlord has no right to demand an increase in the current renewal if what you are paying now is within 10 per cent of the average rental for that area. What the decree does is lessen the imbalance in the tenant-landlord relationship, which in this market has historically weighed in favour of the latter.

“This decree will further boost the real estate sector by introducing great deal of transparency and clarity to the tenant-owner relationship which will pay off to all stakeholders involved,” said Tanzeel Gader, CEO of Flash Properties.

Also, just as important going forward, Dubai also does not want to be saddled with a reputation of being a costly place to do business from. The latest semi-annual report from CBRE places the emirate’s commercial realty as being the 23rd most expensive in the world.

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If the increases continue, and it will as the buzz gets heavier with all the Expo 2020 preparatory works, Dubai wants to make sure that it will be confined to set ranges that can also be monitored. This is why the decree is as much about Dubai residential space as it will be about its expanding commercial realty.